Arranged marriage was an age-old story that Khushi, the youngest of the infamous Gupta family, who revolutionized and dominated the trading market for generations, knew well.
For it was the only thing she heard growing up.
But that neither prepared...
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"So why did you really come?" Khushi asked, as soon as they were seated in the car, driving away from the Raizada Mansion.
Arnav looked at her, confused. "I told you, the driver took an emergency leave and you can't drive."
"You really expect me to believe that?"
"What's there not to believe?"
"Well, hate to agree with NK here, but there were a lot of cars present tonight with a lot of drivers. One of them could have easily dropped me off."
Arnav smirked. "Oh, so your issue is with all the jokes being passed around on our account."
"No of course not," Khushi replied. To be honest, the jokes were what put her unease upon hearing Lavanya openly question their marriage, to rest.
"Then what?" Arnav probed. "Because I honestly thought you would be grateful that I rescued you from my over dramatic family."
"Your family is alright... well, most of them anyway."
He snorted. "Out with it Dr. Gupta... who are we gossiping about?"
"It's not gossip. I'm just curious – why does NK call you Nannav?"
Arnav rolled his eyes. "I couldn't pronounce the 'Ar' soundwhen I was a kid... so naturally, NK is not going to let me forget that until my grave."
"You couldn't say Arnav?" Khushi asked, a small smile playing at her lips. She found she could imagine him as a stuttering two-year old quite easily.
"There were a lot of things I couldn't say actually," Arnav answered. "I was quite a failure as a kid."
"Kids are not failures. Everybody learns at their own pace, it's not your fault. Besides, you managed to do quite well for yourself."
"Yeah, but I could have been better."
Khushi didn't know what to say to that. She found more and more that Arnav unnecessarily held himself deeply responsible for a lot of things, the reason for which she was yet to find. Although she was an open book to him, he definitely wasn't, to her. He fiercely guarded his secrets. And no matter how much she wished to know about them, she knew better than to simply ask.
"Did you know that your sister knows way too much about your life?" she said after a few minutes.
"Which one? Lavanya?"
"For the moment, yeah. I don't know and probably don't want to know how much Anjali knows."
Arnav laughed, not even slightly upset or scared of what his sisters may have revealed to her. It was almost surreal to see him so carefree around his family.
